Pattern of human leukocyte antigens in Turkish children with celiac disease

Background: Regional variations in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) distri bution patterns of celiac disease (CD) have been reported. The aim of the p resent study was to assess the distribution of HLA class I and class II in Turkish children with CD and to compare the findings with a control group. Methods: Human leukocyte antigen typing was performed in 33 children with C D and in 77 healthy individuals, who served as controls, by using standard National Institutes of Health lymphocytotoxicity techniques. Results: A positive association was found between HLA A2 (42 vs 19% for sic k subjects compared with healthy controls, respectively), B8 (39 vs 9% for sick subjects compared with healthy controls, respectively), CW7 (45 vs 25% for sick subjects compared with healthy controls, respectively), DR3 (70 v s 17% for sick subjects compared with healthy controls, respectively), DR7 (30 vs 13% for sick subjects compared with healthy controls, respectively) and DQ2 (52 vs 34% for sick subjects compared with healthy controls, respec tively). The combinations of DR3-DQ2 (30 vs 12% for sick subjects compared with healthy controls, respectively), DR3-DR4 (21 vs 1% for sick subjects c ompared with healthy controls, respectively) and DR7-DQ2 (21 vs 6% for sick subjects compared with healthy controls, respectively) were also found to be significantly important in children with CD. The highest relative risk ( RR) was for HLA B8 in class I (RR 6.50), for DR3 (RR 11.30) in class LI and for combination of DR3-DR4 (RR 20.46). The highest etiologic fraction (EF) was for the DR3 antigen (EF 0.55). Conclusions: The present study emphasizes that HLA genotypes are an importa nt background to CD development, but some additional susceptibility factors remain to be identified.